The Spurs have long been the NBA’s gold standard when it comes to drafting and development, preferring to roll up their sleeves and scour the globe to find the right players to slot into well-defined roles in San Antonio.

A little more than a year ago, the Miami Heat stood on the verge of elimination in the Eastern Conference Finals. The team’s heart and the ability of the Big Three were being questioned left and right ahead of Game 6 of the Conference Finals.

The Miami Heat dug themselves a hole when they allowed the San Antonio Spurs to go up 3-2 in the 2013 NBA Finals. Heading into Game 6, the Heat face long odds of just getting to Game 7, much less winning the NBA championship.

The Miami Heat have been playing the entire 2012-2013 season with a mentality of championship or bust. After dropping Game 5 of the NBA Finals, the Heat’s proverbial backs are against the wall and the championship dreams are close to becoming another Finals nightmare.

Manu Ginobili ran onto the floor as fans stood and screamed. He went to the bench, and they chanted his name. The sights and sounds of so many San Antonio spring nights were back Sunday — and the real party might be just a few days away.

The Miami Heat came back to the AT&T Center looking to take a 3-2 lead with the series set to return to South Florida. Instead, the Spurs’ hot shooters stayed hot and San Antonio’s 114-104 victory sends the series back to South Florida.